1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to a wheelchair transfer apparatus. More particularly, the present invention allows the user of a wheelchair to self-transfer from a wheelchair to the floor and from the floor into a wheelchair.
2. Background
There are a great number of persons who, for a multitude of reasons, must rely upon wheelchairs for independent mobility. For example, many people have sustained spinal cord injuries that have left these people without the use of their legs. Others have sustained injuries or have other disabilities that limit the use of their legs. Nonetheless, these individuals often retain use of their upper bodies and are capable and desirous of all manner of activities and interactions. Many of these activities, such as sitting on the floor to exercise or to play with children, accessing a swimming pool, or gardening, require the wheelchair user to transfer from the wheelchair to the floor and from the floor back into the wheelchair. These activities often occur in a multitude of locations and are often spontaneously encountered. Additionally, in the event of an accident where the wheelchair user is separated from the wheelchair, the safety and security of the wheelchair user often requires the user to be able to re-access the wheelchair. However, it is often problematical for such persons to safely and efficiently transfer from the wheelchair to the floor and back into the wheelchair without the assistance of another individual or the assistance of some fixed transfer apparatus.
In response to the aforementioned problems, various devices are known for assisting a person""s movement to and from a wheelchair. Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,596,055, 3,993,349, 3,999,778, 4,046,348, 4,278,387, 4,288,124, 4,365,924, 4,547,015, 4,737,997, 5,054,849, 5,507,548, 5,522,642, 5,596,775, 5,709,428, 6,135,557, and 6,224,153.
However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages:
1. the apparatus facilitates transfer only to a standing position;
2. the apparatus facilitates transfer to or from a bed;
3. the apparatus is heavy and not easily portable;
4. the apparatus restricts normal function of the wheelchair;
5. the apparatus is not easily and readily adaptable to various wheelchair designs;
6. the apparatus is complex, expensive, and difficult to manufacture; and
7. the apparatus requires the assistance of an attendant.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a wheelchair transfer device that is of simple design and construction, that is inexpensive to manufacture, that is readily and easily adaptable to a variety of wheelchair designs, that facilitates transfer of a wheelchair user from the wheelchair to the floor and from the floor into the wheelchair, that is light and easily portable, that does not restrict normal operation of the wheelchair, and that allows a wheel chair user to self-transfer, using only the user""s own motive power, from the wheelchair to the floor and back into the wheelchair.
The present invention is directed to a wheelchair transfer device that satisfies this need. According to the present invention, the wheelchair transfer device includes a pair of seat supports, each seat support including a first vertical member adapted to be connected to the wheelchair and to contact the floor, a second vertical member of lesser length than the first vertical member, with the second vertical member disposed in front of the first vertical member and in contact with the floor, a horizontal member disposed between the first and second vertical members, and a transition member that is substantially co-planar with the horizontal member and is disposed between the top of the first vertical member and the top of the second vertical member, with the transition member further extending in a cantilevered fashion horizontally from the second vertical member, an intermediate seat comprising a flexible sling extending between the pair of seat supports and adapted to be connected to each horizontal member of each seat support, and means for attaching the seat supports to the wheelchair.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
1. to be of simple design and construction;
2. to be inexpensive and easy to manufacture;
3. to be light and easily portable;
4. to not restrict normal operation of the wheelchair;
5. to be readily and easily adaptable to various wheelchair designs;
6. to facilitate transfer of a wheelchair user from the wheelchair to the floor and from the floor to the wheelchair; and
7. to allow a wheelchair user to self-transfer, under only the user""s motive power, from the wheelchair to the floor and from the floor to the wheelchair.